By Andy Argyrakis

THREE’S A CHARM FOR MAX FAMILY

Kevin and Amanda Max have just reported their third child was born at 9:23 p.m. on March 24, 2009. Continuing in the family’s tradition of unconventional names (which already include big sister London and big brother Wilder), Knightly Christobal Max measured 20 inches long and weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. “We decided to name our third child Knightly Christobal after both of our affection for medieval art and history,” Max explained of the decision. “But all in all, he is looking to be the most modern of all our children, being of raven black hair and sharp blue eyes. I believe being a father is my greatest artistic accomplishment, and Amanda and I look forward to watching him grow and connect to his older brother and sister.”

PETRA SINGER PLOTS EUROPOEAN TOUR

Longtime lead singer of Petra, secular classic rock group Head East and now full-time solo star John Schlitt continues his tour in support of last year’s The Grafting (Tag Artist Group). But rather than plotting another round of dates across America, he’s hitting Europe to reconnect with longtime fans (where Petra was particularly prominent). Swedish soul/R&B group Adahl will open the shows marking a reunion of the two acts after previously touring together overseas in the early ’90s.

MXPX’S SOLO SIDESTEP

Though MxPx is still raging at full force, its tattoo-laden front man just started a new side project called Mike Herrera’s Tumbledown. The pop/punk/rockabilly/country group will release a self-titled CD on May 19 on Austin-based record label End Sounds, which follows hot on the heels of a SXSW showcase in that very city.

BLUETREE BONANZA

With the pre-release buzz for being the originators behind the Passion worship hit “God of This City” in its favor, Belfast’s Bluetree made a major dent in the charts. Its full-length debut disc, God of This City, landed at No. 103 on the Billboard Top 200, thus making the import upstarts the best-selling new Christian act of the year thus far.

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